Bar extensions and welcome banners abound as Cork braces for The Boss

Tuesday, July 16, 2013

Some 50,000 fans of The Boss descending on Páirc Uí Chaoimh on Thursday won’t have to worry too much about being fed and watered for the event.

Last month, Cork City Council announced a city-wide extension of licensing hours for the night, allowing pubs to open until 2am to cater for the massive influx of revellers expected for the eagerly awaited concert.

The decision of Bruce Springsteen & The E Street Band to play Cork for the first time will see Páirc Uí Chaoimh host one of the biggest acts in the world for the first time since 1997.

In recent decades, it has hosted some of the biggest names in music including Michael Jackson in the 1980s, U2, and most recently Oasis in the late 1990s.

Event controller Jim Clarke said the concert had all the amenities of any indoor show, with food and drink available on site.

“It will be like going to any other indoor show,” he said. “There will be bars selling beer, wine, and mixtures. You’ll be able to get the usual food like burgers, hotdogs, and enough to keep you going for the few hours of the concert. Most importantly, you’ll have Bruce Springsteen live.”

Mr Clarke said the fact that the New Jersey legend had chose to end his tour in Ireland showed his “affinity” with the country.

“Springsteen is probably the biggest live act in the world,” said Mr Clarke. “He spans generations and seems to have a special affinity with Ireland. This is going to be the biggest show in the south-west in years.”

With that in mind, it’s no surprise that virtually every bed in Cork has been snapped up. Luckily, bars will be opening late for the occasion and many of the pubs located near the venue will be offering barbecues, along with some of Springsteen’s many hits to whet the appetite.

If people are looking to be fed and watered near the show, The Temple Inn in Ballintemple is one pub in the area with a bar extension until 2am.

Not only that, but given the Mediterranean-style weather, it will be operating a barbecue all day with alcohol being served at two satellite bars, including one in the beer garden.

Nearer to the city but en route to Páirc Uí Chaoimh, The Sextant is also one of the hotspots for the concert and is already sporting a large banner welcoming The Boss to Cork.

Just across the road, The Boardwalk is having a Springsteen USA Festival in honour of the rock legend and will have a live DJ playing Springsteen classics all day Thursday and right into the early hours of Friday morning.

Gates for the concert open at 5pm and Bruce Springsteen & The E Street Band will be on stage at 7pm. There is no support act.

Patrons are advised to follow Garda directions to the venue. Limited parking is available within the vicinity of the stadium.